Anyone familiar with Stevens model 235 double bbl hammer guns?

[GeeDog]

I've always wanted to double bbl 12 gauge hammer gun and just got one the other day. It's marked Stevens Arms & Tool Company, which puts it at around 1912 to 1915. It locks up super-tight and has "modern" steel 32 inch bbls (not Damascus). I've searched just about every source on the net and read just about everything out there about these, but I'm still left with two lingering questions.

1) I suppose erring on the side of safety, many people say to have the chambers checked to ensure it is chambered for the 2 3/4 inch shells. Others say it is okay for 2 3/4 inch shells, and just use low brass and it will be fine. I've not heard one person say they had issues with 2 3/4 inch shells, while it seems there are still thousands of these out there beging used. (61,500 were made, I believe). Does anyone know definatively that 235's are chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells, or will I need to get a gauge?

2) Several people have asked about whether there are springs for the firing pins. No one I've found has indicated they came with firing pin springs, and several people say they don't have springs in theirs. The few sources for 235 parts have firing pins, but I've not seen any that have firing pin springs. Does anyone know if they came with springs or not? I'm guessing no, from what I've seen so far, but can't tell for sure.

Anticipating that some people will reply by telling me I need to take it to a gunsmith and have it checked before I fire it, does anyone know a gunsmith in the San Jose / South Bay area they would recommend to look the gun over?

I'm not set up to post pics on here, but if anyone really knows these guns and needs pics for some reason, we can PM and I can e-mail or text some photos. Thanks in advance for any help.

[eightmd]

I can't help you, but I was curious, if it wasn't chambered for 2 3/4" shells what would it be chambered for? I have several old 12 ga. and I always assumed they all took 2 3/4". I don't remember if the oldest has it marked on the barrel.

[GeeDog]

2 3/4 wasn't a standard back around the turn of the century. I think some were 2.5 inch and some were 2 9/16 inch. If a 2 3/4 inch shell is used in a shorter chamber, the shell case can't open all the way in the chamber, causing over-pressure that can ruin the gun and hurt the shooter.

[GeeDog]

I took this gun (and several others) out to Panoche Hills today and I'm happy to report that the old gun performed flawlessly. I fired two 2 3/4 inch shells from another shotgun and put them in the chambers of the SxS, then looked down both barrels with a bore light and saw there was no crimping and the shells remained wide open. I took the chance and loaded two fresh shells, cocked the hammers, and pulled each trigger one after the other. Two "booms" and a teapot I'd set as a target went rolling across the ground. Firing pins did their jobs, and everthing worked great. Put another 20 or so rounds through it (#8 birdshot) and I'm extremely pleased with my new (100 year old) baby.

[pTa]

The old standard was 2 5/8 just sayin///

[Mike A]

The old standard for American shells was 2 5/8". But people get confused, partly because the old standard for European guns was 2 1/2". And it isn't THAT old--most pre-WWII European 12s were 2 1/2" unless they were intended for export.

[GeeDog]

I defer to all the above.